Speech [Leadership of the Bazaar in Islamic movements and necessity for support of the government by the Bazaar in the war]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I am grateful that today I am face to face with the devoted Islamic strata of the countrywide representatives of traders and businesspersons. Today, I must talk a bit about the bazaar and about the government. which is about the bazaar, we all know and you know that the bazaar is one of the great strata that are devoted to Islam and it is the bazaar that has been at the forefront of all the movements that have occurred for Islam. On the tobacco issue and the religious verdict of the late Mirzaye Shirazi «1»- may God grant him an illustrious status- it was the bazaar that supported it and caused the uprising. Some of the traders of Isfahan, as is narrated, one of whom was a reputed trader of tobacco, set alight all the tobacco that he had stocked in the Shah Square. In similar fashion, the other traders at that time also rose up in revolt in support of the verdict of the Mirza and were martyred. After that, in the course of the constitutional movement and the dictatorship in the form of constitutionality, once again the bazaar was at the forefront of all issues. It was the bazaar that accompanied with the rest of the strata of the nation, right from the laborers and the farmers and so forth, has engaged in a sacred struggle and faced up to the difficulties and has taken action for the advancement of the objectives of Islam to the extent of its capability. In these dark fifty years that has blackened the history of Iran, that darkened it more than the previous regimes, there was a lot of pressure on the bazaar and more than ever before, and they dreaded the bazaar very much such that they even planned at one stage to bring down the roof. They dreaded of what lay below these roofs but they did not succeed. In this movement, the bazaar had a big hand in the affairs right from the strikes and protests that it organized; and although the other strata also had a share, however, the bazaar had a great share in this matter. In this war too, the bazaar served both on the frontline as well as behind it. Now also once again, it is the bazaar that is serving and is at the service of the great Islam and the Islamic republic. Mirza was a source of emulation in a village in Iraq; he was not able to mobilize the seminary students that were there to confront that despotic monarchy. He issued a verdict; the theologians of the land also could not get going and break this black despotism. It was the bazaar and the nation that supported their very own theologians and sources of emulation and who overcame those that followed the path of despotism. In this same movement and in the same event that you all witnessed and we witnessed, once again it was the bazaar that went on prolonged strikes and closures and protests and by other means supported this movement. However, the rest of the strata also were present and God gave His support to all of them. It is the bazaar that from the beginning has backed the commandments of Islam and is also backing now and will also do so later. I hope that the government gives exclusive attention to the bazaar and serves this pious stratum to the extent of its ability.

The thing that pertains to the government that I must mention and that you all know and perhaps some others know lesser while some know more is the knowledge I have of these officials some of whom I am familiar with since long years. I have met some of them from close while some others I have become familiar with in the course of the service they were doing. However, in order not to take too much of your time, we shall mention to you comprehensively. If you think that in the entire world of presidents, monarchs and so forth, you will find a single person like Mr. Khamene'i, that is both a devotee of Islam and a civil servant who sincerely wishes to serve this nation, you are mistaken. I know him since long and since the beginning of the movement; he was in it and would spread the messages all over. After the Revolution reached its climax, he was present at all places until the end and is present even now- this is one of the blessings of God to us.

Look at our legislative assembly; many of them I know from close meaning that they have a long track record like the speaker of the legislature «2» and many of the other officials; and I know them to be pious and devoted to Islam and to be servants to the extent of their capabilities. During the time since the legislative assembly is established I know all of them to be servants. I cannot find a single person among them who is not devoted to Islam. However, differences of taste, differences of opinion and differences of approach are present in all strata; it is present among the theologians; among the sources of emulation; among you officials also there are differences of taste, differences of opinion; but all are unanimous in serving and all want to serve. Among them, I cannot name a single person that is not deeply attached to Islam; all of them are devoted despite the differences of approach that they have. With regard to the Council of Guardian, I know all of the jurisprudents that are there from close since long and I must say that I have reared and trained them and their position is clear. However, with regard to the government; I know some of them also since long while some of the misters and other officials I have become familiar with in the course of their service; all of them want to serve. Do not be under the impression that among them you will find a single person that does not wish to serve. They shall all perform to the extent of their capabilities and to the extent of the powers invested in them. The Judiciary officials are also known persons; I know many of them from the beginning; and now, too, there are trustworthy and devoted individuals there but I do not want to go into details.

I would like to mention to you officials the problems, some of the problems and not all of them, which confronts the government right now so that you can see that despite these problems, they have even now performed many of the tasks. They have done service to the entire country that had been neglected in these past fifty years. Does it not deserve that we praise and thank them! One problem now is the issue of the war. Perhaps some of you are aware of the daily costs of the war; how much ammunition is needed; how much expenses are incurred daily for the war. Today the war alone costs more than hundreds of millions every day. Next to it is the damages that have been inflicted to us, and the crimes, which the Ba`athist regime has perpetrated, against this oppressed nation. Following the crimes is the problem of the war refugees that number more than a million or may be two million- the exact figure I do not know right now- which the government must now tackle this issue. Next to this is the refugees from Iraq; the Iranians that were previously in Iraq and lived in Iraq and were expelled and whose burden has fallen on the government. Refugees that are pouring into Iran now from Afghanistan are faced with many problems, too. These destructions that want to be repaired- however, the nation has been very helpful in all these affairs but the assistance of the nation is not sufficient- it is the government that is entrusted with this task and is responsible for it and is faced daily with one great problem. It wants to send trucks to the war front for logistical support from here to there and is faced with difficulty; it has problem for sending provisions to the war. Nevertheless, it strives with all its strength to give priority to the war effort. Now the problem of the government is so vast that this budget, which you allocate, cannot solve the problem of the government; the nation must set it right.

I would now like to tell you that suppose His Holiness the Commander of the Faithful- may God's peace be upon him- was in Iran today and was the head of the government. He would see that a group- Saddam and those that support him which means all the governments of the world except a few- has attacked Iran and wrought destruction, killing people, rendering them homeless and plundering and causing destruction. His Holiness witnesses that now Islam, the nation of Islam and the people of Islam are in danger of these Gogs and Maggogs attack Iran and wreak the same destruction in Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan that they wreaked in Ahwaz and Khorramshahr. If His Holiness sees this, what would he do? Would he sit down and sermonize? Would he say that he would set things right on his own? What would he do when there would be no money, insufficient funds and taxes alone would not suffice? In such a situation, His Holiness would order that the people help in proportion to their ability, the weaker sections, the lower income groups aside, the high-income strata that for example, have a yearly income of more than a hundred million and more and especially those that are indifferent to such issues. However, the businesspeople are not of this type; the traders are not of this type and the smaller businesspeople are not of this type. However, among them there are individuals whom you know that engage in hundred million transactions and derive more than hundred million in profit, and do not disclose them. What would the Commander of the Faithful do with a country that faced a dangerous situation? He would dispatch all the individuals to the battlefront. He would forcefully take away the wealth of affluent individuals and send them for the war effort. If it were not enough, he would give his own robe; he would give away my robe too; he would give away your cap for safeguarding the country of Islam, for protecting the honor of this same people. You know what would happen if God forbid, Saddam would lay his hands on Tehran. Would he leave your wealth alone? Would he leave your honor and dignity intact? Would he spare your lives? Do you know what he would do? Do you know what danger awaits you now? Saddam is not worth being a human being; however, Saddam and those that support him, the governments that back him up; those that provide him with assistance; the big powers that provide him with weapons; powers that send men, equipment and so forth- well this is the sort of danger that Iran is facing now. Is it fair that when there is such a danger facing all and not just one strata such as the danger in Khouzestan province is posed to all of Iran; or the danger facing Khorramshar and Abadan- places which they occupied at that time and did what the Mongols had not done throughout history- is posed to all. Is it fair that at such a time there be hoarding and this nation is put in difficulty? Is it fair that at such a time there be profiteering and the government is rendered helpless and not be able to correct the situation or at such a time we must help the government? Is it not our religious obligation to help? These respected guilds; these respected businesspeople are in a pposition to combat profiteering by way of selling at cheaper prices. If they sell their goods at a cheap price, the hoarders shall move away and they will not be able to hold on. Alternatively, the members of the guilds can themselves go to the hoarders and tell them why they are doing such a thing! Well at such a time when our everything is in danger, do we have the right to sit back and complain that for instance, such and such thing is in short supply or such and such thing is available in plenty? Well, this is not possible. The issue is greater than what you and I think; the issue is the issue of America and not of Saddam. The issue is of France; the issue is of the Soviet Union.

Well, the nation of ours has resisted until now and may God protect them, and from now on too, it has and will resist and it must also provide further resistance. Most of you remember the Second World War in which we were not involved and did not support any side. However, when they entered Iran and Iran was also not able to provide any resistance and that royal army and those things that Rida Khan would utter turned out to be hollow words, when they entered, although they had nothing to do with the people, but as soon as they arrived, you saw what happened to the goods! You noticed that no bread could be found; you saw there was no rice available; nothing was available and things were rationed and that too with those exorbitant prices for some items. Sir, today we are involved in a war; it is no joke. The matter of war is no joke; the expenses of war is no joke; to resist in the face of war is no joke; to equip a division or several divisions for confrontation are affairs that the government is faced with and is serving. We must show our appreciation for this government that is serving; we must assist it. A few persons that are unaware are joined by a few hypocrites and repeatedly say something; they say something to them; they create discontent among the people. God knows that with this war and this situation that is now prevailing in Iran and that economic siege that is in place and those sabotaging at work and those negative publicity launched against you and against Islam, nevertheless, the government is steadfast and is serving and this is a miracle. We must help it; we must support it so that it can work. I know that there are problems; they also know that there are many problems but what can they do! Well, there are many problems but what should they do? Should they leave things to themselves and let every person do as he wishes? Well, there is a group that imports goods and sells them at several times their price; there is a group that hoards goods; there is a group that does no such thing but what can this hapless government do? Is it possible to leave the war to itself? Is it possible to leave the refugees alone? Is it possible to leave the oppressed on their own? You see despite these problems that have been created for our nation now, the government has resisted in their face and has built so many buildings for the people; so many roads for the people. I have asked them repeatedly to mention the things they have accomplished to the people so that they take note. Well you also know very well and the majority of you know the things have been done for them in places where they had no water, they had no land, no roads; in fact, they had nothing; no doctors whereas now the government has taken action to the extent of the powers vested in it. Therefore, we must support such an exemplary government. Do you think Saddam acts in this manner! Saddam is involved in a war and all are backing him. However, if you ask those that come from Iraq of what all he does; ask these Iraqi nationals who have run away and come here; ask them what he is doing to the people; about his prisons and what his henchmen do in the prisons. Therefore, we must look at both the sides of the issue. On one side, we must protect the bazaar with all our strength; it is the duty of all of us. It is the bazaar that has sustained us; that has sustained all while on the other side it is the bazaar that must safeguard the government. What can the government do if it is left alone. Mr. Mousawi «3» the Prime Minister is a businessperson; he was a businessperson like you; his father, apparently is also now a businessperson. Well, he does not have anything to give of his own; the other ministers are also the same. The government does not have anything of its own. The government wants to defend your lives, your honor, your wealth and your dignity. Well then, we must accept the responsibility of this task and those that have huge amounts of capital must contribute to the extent that they can. If you sometimes hear that some of these men make certain remarks, they imply the economic terrorists and the hoarders; the general bazaar businessperson is not a hoarder; they are pious people and do not act contrary to the religious tenets. There is a section that complains, that is indifferent to these issues, that engages in hoarding, profiteering and creating a black market- they are a small group. It is not that any person intends to malign the bazaar; until now, I have not heard any person utter a word about the bazaar. Well, this bazaar is the bazaar of the Muslims; it is a bazaar that has served from the outset, is serving now and it shall serve later on. Therefore, we too must take note of the problems of the government; we must pay attention to the problems of both the weak and downtrodden as well as the problems of these refugees that have arrived now. We cannot disregard the homeless people that are from our own people who have come from Ahwaz and Khorramshar and from the places that have invaded and attacked; who have come from Khouzestan province and also from other places; likewise the guests that we have. Well, they are Afghan nationals, they are Muslims or are Iraqi nationals for instance or the hapless people that have been rendered homeless, whose wealth has been taken away and they have been sent here. Well, what must be done with them? Must we not host them? We are Muslims; they too are Muslims. We must host them and take care of them. We must serve them and it is the government that is doing these things. We cannot comprehend the depth of the task of the government accurately. Until a government does not sit beside them; until some of the respected sirs of the business guilds do not sit beside the government; until these representatives of the government do not explain their problems to them, we cannot imagine the amount of problems that they are facing. Therefore, we must take note of both the sides of the issue. This means that we must take note of our and difficulties from all angles; and Islam has placed the responsibility on all of us. When the honor and lives of Muslims is in danger, it is compulsory on all of us that we contribute to the extent that we can; the one who is capable must get up and go to the frontline. It is compulsory for all that now a group have volunteered- and thank God- they are a large number that have gone to the frontline and thank God, the situation is good at the warfronts, however, they should be busy behind the frontlines and endorse the government. They should give their support to a government that spends hundreds of millions every month on the war alone. Every day the government spends hundreds of million for the war while on the other hand, the revenues of the government that was mainly from crude oil, they are not allowing us to produce a lot. It is not possible to extract all the petroleum that belongs to future generations and spend it now and not be able to live after some time. The balance is from the assistance that well, the people should come forward; we advise and appeal to the philanthropists to help the government that is busy tackling the problems and is faced with so many problems. The government must also help you; the issue is mutual; it must not be one-sided. On the other hand, the government must serve to the extent that it can; it must serve the bazaar, the poor, and the others to the extent of its capability. On the other hand, all the sirs must also serve. However, now that I am talking, a large group but not so rich that have lesser capital are hearing it- they listen. However, also a section has huge capitals that do not listen to these words very much. Their accountability is with the Blessed and Almighty God. God endorse all of you and you prosper and that all of us together with the government strive to establish Islam and the commandments of Islam. I hope that we are victorious and we shall be victorious. God protect all of you.
May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.